Stream Jason Isbell’s New Album Georgia Blue, Featuring Covers Of R.E.M., Indigo Girls, Cat Power, & More
A little less than a year ago, Jason Isbell made a promise. If Joe Biden won Georgia, Isbell would “make a charity covers album of my favorite Georgia songs.” Today, Isbell makes good on that promise. Isbell and his 400 Unit have just released the new LP Georgia Blue, which features 13 covers of songs that were famously performed by artists identified with the state of Georgia. The new album raises money for the nonprofits Black Voters Matter, Fair Fight, and Georgia STAND-UP, and it’s out now.
Isbell is from Alabama, not Georgia, but he clearly has a lot of reverence for Georgia music. We’ve already posted Isbell’s covers of R.E.M.’s “Driver 8” and Gladys Knight And The Pips’ “Midnight Train To Georgia.” The rest of the LP Isbell taking on songs by canonical figures — James Brown, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers Band — and also by indie faves like Cat Power, Now It’s Overhead, and Vic Chesnutt.
Nearly every song on Georgia Blue features some of Isbell’s musician friends. Brandi Carlile and Julien Baker, for instance, appear on the 400 Unit’s version of the Indigo Girls’ “Kid Fears,” while people like Adia Victoria, Béla Fleck, Brittney Spencer, and John Paul White also make appearances. You can stream the full album below.
Georgia Blue is out now on Isbell’s own Southeastern label.